Never Let Go

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided
to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry
to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind
shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.

He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle
of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother in
the house was looking out the window saw the two as they got closer and
closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her
son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became
alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just
as he reached her, the alligator reached him.From the dock, the mother
grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his
legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator
was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too
passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams,
raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably,
after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs
were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And on his
arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his
flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked
if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then,
with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I
have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't
let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

The Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He
wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we
foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead.
The swimming hole of life is filled with peril and we forget that the
enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins and if you
have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful. He did
not and will not ever let you go.